Backlight, VPRO‘s weekly, 50-minute, future affairs-program, balances on the edge of storytelling and journalism. It focuses on the questions that arise from our globalized world in which societies, economies and cultures seek a new equilibrium. Backlight aims to grasp the quintessence of prominent trends and developments.

The Truth according to Wikipedia

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As traditional mass media wither away and an increasing number of people access information through Wikipedia, critics warn that “our” Web is taking a course that will eventually lead to an info-crisis and loss of truth.

Google or Wikipedia? Those who regularly search for information on the Web increasingly choose Wikipedia. This free online encyclopedia claims to offer the sum total of all human knowledge. Its entries, regardless of their level of expertise, are in the hands of its millions of users: information has become democratized. But an increasing number of critics, such as Andrew Keen and Wikipediafounder Larry Sanger, are venting their worries about a Wiki-driven society. Are they right? Does the Wikipedization of the world erode our concept of truth and the credibility of our information? A return of expertise and authority seems utterly necessary. Here and there we see glimpses of new developments on the Internet that might turn the tide. Mahalo.com for instance, is a young company that favors human research over indifferent algorithms; Mahalo even pays its researchers. Are these the first signs of a counter-revolution?

VPRO Backlight

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Backlight targets a worldwide audience. Transmission rights are regularly bought by broadcasters from Canada to Korea and from Finland to Argentina and the episodes have won numerous awards. Check out their video's on YouTube channel VPRO Documentary.